Episode 1589 (19 March 1998)
Synopsis It's Peggy's and Ben's birthday today and George says he has to go and see Grant for a restaurant recommendation. Peggy says that's odd but doesn't twig that it's to arrange her surprise party. Lenny is doing the music so he tells Mick and Barry that he'll go and dust off the 78's, and they really don't want to come. Irene and Terry go shopping for rings: Irene says "Eat your heart out, Elizabeth Taylor" so it clearly won't be a small and tasteful thing. Clare is getting ready for the Bar Mitzvah party, and has to choose between two dresses, and Dot thinks both are too short. Clare also tells Nigel that he can talk to her if there is anything bothering him and she'd like to know. Nigel is oblivious and Clare later tells him that her computer keeps a record of all the pages accessed on the Internet. Nigel says "That's nice" and goes off to get ready, and Dot confides in Clare that it was her on the computer searching for the information about HIV and AIDS. Barry turns up to move his things in to Pat's and since their argument, Roy hasn't spoken to her about it. She is not at all happy, saying there's no space there as it is. Ian shows Kathy his divorce letter from Cindy, and Kathy shows him her decree NISI has come through. Cindy collects the kids and takes them home, and she and Nick spend a day with them screaming and being naughty. Kathy gets an emergency call, and it's from the hospital where Lorna has given her number. Kathy goes there to discover Lorna has had her face slashed by one of her prostitution customers who also called her names. She's being sent home and the nurse assumes that Kathy can take her there. Kathy says she can't go there, and takes her to her own house. At the Bar Mitzvah, Clare sits at Josh's main table and Nigel is relegated to the back of the room with people he's never met before, but a woman takes pity on him and says Julie asked her to look after him. Julie is sitting next to her ex-husband for the speeches as Josh's parents, and the woman tells Nigel they get on wonderfully well for a divorced couple, and it won't last - the divorce that is. She also says they'll probably meet again soon for the engagement party. Nigel tells Clare he's leaving at 11 because he said he'd be in the Vic for last orders for Peggy's surprise cake. He also says that Julie obviously only invited him because he's Clare's father so she won't miss him. Clare is upset and the woman says that Clare can't get a taxi home by herself, but she will give Clare a lift home at midnight. Nigel agrees, and leaves for the Vic, rather early. Julie asks Clare where he's gone and Clare tells her pointedly that Nigel thought she wouldn't care if he left, so he's gone to the pub. In the Vic, Barry chats up Theresa and they dance energetically. He buys drinks for everyone as he's celebrating selling his house and having £3,000. Dot asks Mark if he's on one of the combination drug treatments yet, and Mark looks amazed and says yes, actually. Dot says good, because he has to be given it at the right time for the benefit, and she's been reading up about it on the Internet. Barry and Theresa dance while Pat takes Roy to task for not mentioning Barry moving in. Then, Barry misses a step and falls over, on top of someone who falls onto Pat, who is knocked over and then complains of a sprained ankle. She's taken off to see Dr Legg. Julie turns up and apologises to Nigel, and they can't have a proper conversation because of the loud music so they go back to Nigel's to talk. Peggy's cake comes out and she's amazed as she hadn't guessed. Barry discovers his bar bill is over 80 quid and he has to borrow off Roy to pay it! Back at Nigel's, he tells her that he was upset because of her, and after a short interlude, we return to the couple having coffee, and Nigel apologising for blurting out how he felt and possibly embarrassing her. Julie says because there's so little time, it's important to be honest with each other, and she feels exactly the same, but didn't want to say because it didn't seem worth mentioning when there is only a couple of months before she moves to Scotland. Nigel is amazed and doesn't know what to do, so Julie says for a start, he could invite her to stay the night, and they kiss. Credits Main cast *George Palmer - Paul Moriarty *Nigel Bates - Paul Bradley *Dot Cotton - June Brown *Terry Raymond - Gavin Richards *Irene Hills - Roberta Taylor *Roy Evans - Tony Caunter *Barry Evans - Shaun Williamson *Peggy Mitchell - Barbara Windsor *Mark Fowler - Todd Carty *Pat Evans - Pam St. Clement *Clare Bates - Gemma Bissix *Kathy Mitchell - Gillian Taylforth *Ian Beale - Adam Woodyatt *Cindy Beale - Michelle Collins *Lucy Beale - Casey Anne Rothery *Peter Beale - Alex Stevens *Steven Beale - Stuart Stevens *Teresa di Marco - Leila Birch *Lenny Wallace - Desune Coleman *Mick McFarlane - Sylvester Williams Guest cast * Julie Haye - Karen Henthorn * Nick Holland - Dominic Taylor * Lorna Cartwright - Janet Dibley * Eliot Saunders - Lawrence Lambert Category:Episode Category:1998 Episodes